As Promised...

...pictures from our Yellowstone trip - that we took a month ago! These pictures are not in the order of which they were taken. (Sometimes Blogger is too hard for me to figure out!) I will try to explain what they are and hopefully our trip will make sense.

Randy and Addison in the car on our way into the park. Addison was so excited to have nonoculars (binoculars - in Addi speak) that she hardly put them down from her face. I am not sure how she didn't end up cross eyed or with a major headache. They seem to make my head hurt when I use them.

Waiting for Old Faithful to go off. I must say that Old Faithful is pretty darn faithful to it's time schedule. I am convinced that they give it a daily dose of Metamucil (If you don't remember this commercial, check out this little gem from 2003 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF5cyH_GRKE). Addison was so excited to see the Geyser. So excited in fact that she didn't care too much to actually sit around and watch it go off! LOL

I am not sure if you can see the bear in these pictures, but if you click on the photos and enlarge them you may be able to see him behind all of the snow way up on the side of the mountain. Addison was lucky enough to see 2 bears this trip, Jen 3 bears and Randy, Beth & Gwyl (Grandma & Papa) 5 bears. {Jen was too tired and had to use the potty too badly to get out of the car and see bears #4 & #5!}

What a cute little family photo :)

Randy was laughing at all the tourists that had to stop and get their picture at the entrance. I laughed and said to him that little did he know, we were going to stop and have our picture taken there too.

I wanted to see the petrified tree. I hadn't seen it since I was a kid. While we were driving there I told Randy that I didn't remember it being too special. So when we showed up Randy looked at me and said "This is it?" I laughed so hard! I don't think he was understanding what I was trying to get at. It is just a tree!!! Maybe it would be a little bit more neat to see if you could actually look with you hands and not just your eyes. Too bad they have to have the fence around it. My dad was saying that when he was younger and would come up with his family there used to be three petrified trees, but little stinkers would come and take parts of the trees home as souvenirs.

Elk - Or as Addison would call them "Reindeer".

This is what I was most excited about seeing. Even more exciting than seeing bears. I was hoping upon hope that we would see a moose and we did. Right before we got to the petrified tree. {I don't remember ever seeing a moose in the park, at least not in my adult life.}

You can't see it, but we are standing on top of the waterfall right before you head down into Mammoth Springs.

Addison again with her nonoculars. I really thought it was cute that she was loving them so much!

"Dragon Holes" - This is the name Addison gave to the sulfur ponds that we saw. The weather was cold enough that we could see puffs of smoke all over Yellowstone. I don't think I realized how many "Dragon Holes" Yellowstone really had.

Addi getting a close up view of the "Dragon Holes" with her nonoculars. Many thanks go to Papa for being willing to hold the little wiggle worm.

Come on, say it with me AWWW! Aren't they so cute!

Addison was wondering why Yellowstone was called Yellowstone, so Grandma found her a little yellow stone. She was completely happy and satisfied with this answer. She still {a month later} carries it around like it is her most prized possession.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. This picture does not do the waterfall justice.

Addi was such a good sport in the car all day long that her daddy and I promised her that she could go swimming when we got back to the hotel. She loves her rainbow swimming suit and was so excited to put it on.

Daddy was a good sport and took Addi swimming. The water was really cold, so Addison wouldn't go to far into it. But she had a blast in the hot tub! :)

This was bear #2. He was walking across the street when we came upon him. I was thrilled that I was able to get pictures of him up close. Though I will have to say that Randy locked the doors when he came close. {Side story - The first time Randy and I went to Yellowstone together, we had only been married 5 months. We were driving around Jackson Lake and came upon a black bear. This bear was so close to our car that I could have reached out and touched him. While I was getting my camera ready to take the bears picture a stupid motorcyclist came up behind our car and scared the bear away. I was so ticked. I got out of the car in my high heels and started chasing the bear up the street so that I could get my "perfect" picture. All the while, Randy is sitting in the car yelling at me to get inside the car NOW!}

Feeding the ducks, fish and muskrats at Big Springs. I remember coming her all the time as a child. Too bad it is so busy with tourists. I don't remember all the tourists when I was a kid.

*Cute side note* My parents had their picture taken right on this very bridge 35 years ago. As soon as I get a copy of it, I will post this picture with that picture and let you take a look at the differences. They are still a happy, beautiful couple!

More family pictures. {Posing for the camera is Randy's VERY favorite thing to do! - said with a lot of sarcasm in my voice.} I love the little wheel house in the background. I have always wanted to go and play in there as a child {and even as an adult}!

This picture was taken at the end of our trip. Can you tell that Addison has about had it with picture taking? But don't Grandma and Papa look great?